File.



No. 689,966. Patented Dec. 3|, I901.

P. H. HOLMES.

FILE.

(Application flied Aug. 22, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

MK IIIIIIII/I WITNESSES [NVE THE Ntmms PEYERS co, moroumc, WASNINGTON,0. cv

Patented Dec. 3|, 190i.

P. H. HOLMES.

FILE.

(Application filed Aug. 22, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

[N V"EN TOR 6 w, I fzttorney 5 WITNESSES T E Nonms PETERS co.PHOYOLITHQ. WASHINGTON, u. c.

" irnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

PHILIP HENRY HOLMES, OF GARDINER, MAINE.

FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,966, dated December31, 1901.

Application filed August 22, 1900. Serial Nor 27,720. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP HENRY HOLMES, of Gardiner, in the county ofKennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to an improvement in files, and more particularlyto such as are intended for temporarily holding letters, &c., the objectof the invention being to provide a simple and efficient device which.can be cheaply manufactured and which shall be compact in structure.

A further object is to so construct a file or holder that letters andother papers can be systematically stored therein without puncturingthem and so that they can be easily and quicklyinserted and seen relyheld, so that any paper can be inspected without disturbing any otherpapers and so that any paper can be readily withdrawn without displacingany other paper in the file or holder.

A further object is to construct a file or holder in book form, so thatas papers accumulate therein the device will become enlarged uniformlythroughout.

With these objects in View my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the fileor holder with the upper cover elevated. Fig. 2 is a view inlongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 3 is aplan View, partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a View illustrating amodification.

A represents the base of the file or holder, made, preferably, of heavycardboard or other suitable stiff material and provided at one end witha strip 1 of wood extending from one edge to the other. The base 1 iscovered on its exposed lower face with a sheet 2 of leather or similarflexible material, and at the upper end of said base the covering-sheetis extended, folded over the strip 1, and terminates in a flap 3, whichextends a short distance over the base A.

The upper cover 4 of the file may be a sheet of leather or similarflexible material, and its upper end is placed upon the flap 3. Upon theupper end of the upper cover which overlaps the flap 3 a strip or plate10 of stiff material, such as wood or metal, is disposed. This plate orstrip is provided in its under face with a longitudinal groove 5, inwhich a coil-spring 6 is located and secured between its ends by asuitable fastening device 7. Cords 8 8 are secured to the respectiveends of spring 6 and passed through holes 9 9 near the respective endsof the strip or plate 10. These cords then pass freely through holes 1111 in the flexible cover 4, then through holes 12 12 in the flap 3, andthence through alined holes in a series of leaves 13, placed upon thebase A and having their upper end inserted between said base and theflap 3. The free ends of the cords 8 S are passed through the base A andprovided with buttons 14 14. or other suitable retaining devices. Theindexleaves 13 are notched to form tabs at one edge of the file, andthese tabs have produced thereon the letters of the alphabet. It will beobserved that the index-leaves 13 are permanently secured at one endbetween the covers of the file or holder, and it is my intention toinsert letters or other papers between said leaves in such manner thattheir upper ends will be held firmly by the action of thespring-actuated strip or plate 10.

The flap 3 above referred to constitutes a portion of the back of thefile or holder, and as the file becomes thicker by the accumulation ofpapers therein this flap or back must accommodate itself to theincreased thickness of the file or holder. To permita movement of theflap for this purpose, it is provided with slits 15 15 near its ends toallow said flap to move outwardly independently of the cords.

To insert a paper in my improved file, the

index-pages 13 are first turned to the proper or plate bearing firmlyupon the upper edges of the index-leaves, and thus holding thepreviously-inserted letters or papers securely against displacement.When it is desired to examine any letter or paper in the file, thespring-actuated strip or plate 10 need not be disturbed, it being simplynecessary to raise the flexible cover, which by reason of its being heldat one end by the spring-actuated strip or plate 10 is, in efiect,hinged at its juncture with the inner edge of said strip. It is apparentthat as papers accumulate in the file the spring-actuated strip orholder 10 will move in a direction at right angles to the 7 cover toconstitute a hinged connection therefor with the spring-actuated stripor plate 10 said upper cover may be made of heavy material and providedat its upper edge with a stiffening-strip 15, connected to thespringactuated strip or plate by hinges 16, as shown in Fig. 4. Thisform of my invention is well adapted for use on a desk for holdingunanswered letters, and on account of the rough usage to which it may besubjected the corners may be provided with reinforcingplates 17.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a file or holder inwhich letters and other papers may be held and classified and thecompleted file or holder finally stored away.

The spring-actuated strip or holder 10 is preferably provided with acovering of leather or suitable material, and on this covering a holder23 is secured for the reception of a card on which may be writtensuitable data indicative of the contents of the file.

It is evident that changes in the construction and relative arrangementof the several parts might be made without avoiding my invention, andhence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts shown anddescribed;'but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a base, a rigid transverse plate over one end ofthe base, a coiled spring disposed longitudinally in said plate and acord secured to each end of said spring, said cords passing through thebase and permanently securing the plate and spring thereto.

2. The combination with a base and a cover, of a series of index-leavesbetween the base and cover, a strip or holder disposed on the cover andprovided in its under face With a groove, aspringin said groove, cordsattached to the respective ends of the spring, said cords passingthrough holes in the strip and through the base and permanently securingthe indexleaves in place and retaining devices at the free ends of thecords.

3. The combination with a base and a strip rigidly secured to one end ofsaid base and constituting a back, of a flexible sheet'secured to thebase, extending around the rigid strip or back and projecting freelyover a portion of base to form a flap, said flap having elongated slots,a plate disposed freely upon said flap, a spring disposed in said plateand cords attached to the respective ends of said spring and passingthrough the slots of the flap, and the base and permanently attached tothe latter.

4;. The combination of abase, afiexible cov ering secured to the baseand extending in the form of a slotted flap over the base, indexleavesdisposed between the base and flap, a rigid plate disposed freely onsaid flap,a spring carried by said plate, cords secured to the respective ends of said spring and passing through the flap, leaves andbase and holding the leaves permanently in place, and a cover having ahinged connection with said plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP HENRY HOLMES.

Witnesses:

A. M. SPEAR, G. H. HILDRETT.

